Can you find it cheaper?

Shop safely

Important! Ensure you know how to shop safely before trying these deals

DOs:

For safety, pay by credit card if over £100

Protect purchases under £100

DON'Ts:

Use unfamiliar sites without checking

Let your antivirus run out

Full DOs and DON'Ts

Tips for shopping safely

Whether it's a retailer or restaurateur, airline or air-conditioner seller, computer shop or car rental company, there are always two main risks. Either it's a dodgy company, or it's a legit company that has financial problems and goes bust.

The aim of these tips is to help you minimise the risks.

What happens if a company goes bust?

Quite simply, its customers are immediately transformed into creditors. This hits hardest if you've ordered goods or tickets from them, and not had delivery, as then you become one of a line of people trying to get your money back out of the company's assets, and you usually get back much less than you paid in.

Even if you've had delivery, if the company you bought from goes under and there's a problem with the goods, it can mean you've no comeback.

While MoneySavingExpert.com endeavours to check deals are valid, we don't check companies ' finances. Even huge names like MFI and Woolies have folded, so it's very important you use the right strategies to stay protected where possible.

DO Pay by credit card for goods over £100

Unlike debit cards, cheques or cash, pay in full or part (even just £1) on a credit card and by law the lender's jointly liable with the retailer.

This means you have exactly the same rights with the card company as you do with the retailer. So if it goes bust, you can simply take your complaints there instead and get money back if there's no delivery.

Yet it's important you ALWAYS REPAY IN FULL each month, so there's no interest cost. See the full Section 75 guide.

DO Protect purchases under £100

Section 75 doesn't apply to purchases under £100, but there's still an option which can help. It isn't a legal protection, just Visa, Mastercard and Amex's rules, but it's a good back-up.

Spend on a Visa, Mastercard or Amex credit card or any debit or charge card. If the goods don't appear, you can try to ask your bank/card provider to reclaim the cash from the seller's bank, so long as you complain within 120 days of realising there’s a problem. See the Chargeback guide for full details.

DON'T Use unfamiliar sites without checking

Bogus websites are often set up to cash in on popular products like Ugg boots and Tiffany necklaces, so be wary if it's an unfamiliar site. And don't think that because it appears on a reputable search engine, that makes it a reputable site - always check.

DO Check the site's legit

Most folk know to look for a security padlock on the bottom right of a website, but that doesn't mean the site's legit, just that payment's secure.

To find out who registered the site and when, search the Whois database. Reputable firms should also appear on the Companies House site, the UK Government's official companies register. Be very wary of businesses with just a PO Box or email address.

Study the site's worldwide web ranking on Alexa. Anything in the top 100,000 means it's reasonably big and a good, though not foolproof indication of legitimacy. Do a quick Google search for other shoppers' experiences.

DON'T Let your antivirus run out

Crucially, ensure your security's up-to-date - free software can be downloaded to your computer in about five minutes. Full details in the Free Antivirus Software guide.

DO Know your distance selling rights

Many people are surprised to learn you've MORE rights buying online (or by telephone/catalogue) due to the Distance Selling Regulations.

These give you a legal right to send most goods back within seven days for a full refund (including outward delivery costs), even if there's no fault. You'll usually need to pay for the return delivery. Read Consumer Rights for a full guide.

However, of course, this is balanced by the fact ordering online automatically means there's a time gap between ordering and delivering - when the company has your money. So if it goes bust during that time, the distance selling rights don't help.

DO Understand sometimes there's no protection.

Ultimately, there is always a risk that a company can go bust. If the above routes don't apply, then you have to make a decision about whether you're willing to take the risk of parting with your cash.

Don't be scared of this. Every day we all make transactions based on trust, and this is part of that, but do balance up the amount you're spending against the risk. Don't give large amounts of money to a company you're not sure about.

Close

Top cinema deals

If you use the comparison website Compare The Market, or if you’ve used it during the past year, you can get 2for1 cinema tickets every Tuesday or Wednesday for 12 months from the date you use the site to get a credit card, loan or insurance, or switch your energy, broadband, TV or landline provider.

The offer expires 12 months after the date of your purchase or switch, not 12 months from when you activate it. Please note: activation can take at least 48 hours, so you’ll have to be patient.

How much do I have to spend?

Compare The Market isn’t always the cheapest place to buy insurance (see our insurance guides for the top deals), but you can get Meerkat Movies by spending as little as £2ish on a single-trip travel insurance policy for one person travelling within the UK. For more on this trick, read our Deals Hunters blog.

What do I get?

You're entitled to one voucher per week (so you can't go both days) and to get it you can either download the Meerkat Movies app (iPhone and Android only) or log in at the website. You can then simply print the code or show it on your smartphone at the box office.

If you fancy an IMAX screening, want to upgrade to premium seats or see a 3D film, you'll be asked to pay the price difference between this and a standard cinema ticket.

Where can I use it?

Like the extremely popular Orange Wednesdays (which ended shortly before Meerkat Movies launched), it's valid at most cinemas across the UK - the big chains (eg, Cineworld, Odeon and Vue) as well as lots of independents - but not all of them. If in doubt, check with your local cinema before turning up.

Important: 2for1 cinema tickets should never be your reason for choosing a product like insurance. Use other sites to check it's a good deal and don't be swayed by freebies that could end up costing you a lot more in the long run.

To qualify for Meerkat Movies membership, you need to purchase one of the following products via Compare The Market: car, motorcycle, home, van, pet, landlord, life, home/content or travel insurance. You can also qualify by taking out a credit card or loan or switch energy, digital TV or broadband supplier.

You can only hold one Meerkat Movies membership in any 12-month period, but if you purchase a second product whilst you have an active Meerkat Movies membership you can choose to claim a cuddly toy instead.

Kids cinema deals

Keep your nippers (and yourself) amused on weekend and school holiday mornings with Movies For Juniors kids’ films at Cineworld. It’s £1.80 per showing, per person if you book online with a myCineworld account, or £2 if bought at the cinema box office, for both adults and sprogs.

Children aged between 2-12 can get tickets from £1.99 with the Mini Mornings offer on selected weekend and school holiday morning movies. What's more, accompanying adults get in from £1.99 too. 3D films are from £2.79.

You can buy tickets on the day, but seats can sell out, so go early if possible. To be safe, book online or over the phone, though you'll pay a 75p booking fee each (90p for phone bookings).

Offer is available at selected cinemas only. See website for more info.

On weekends and holiday mornings for selected films, adult and kids' tickets at participating Odeon cinemas are £2.50. The only exceptions are the following cinemas; Worcester, Telford, Dorchester and Exeter tickets are £1, Dundee, Bristol and Belfast tickets are £1.50, and Weston-Super-Mare tickets are £2.

You can either just turn up at the cinema on the day and trust there'll be seats available. Or you can book online in advance via the website or app.

Loyalty card deals

If you sign up for Odeon's Limitless Card for £17.99/month, you can watch as many 2D films as you want (it's £19.99 for central London cinemas). There are a few exclusions, see 'more info' for details.

As full-price adult tickets cost between £3-£13 depending on location, this could save you money if you normally see a few films a month. However, you should check prices at your local cinema to make sure it's worth it for you.

Important: You'll be signing up to a minimum 12-month subscription. If you don't want to continue after the 12 months is up, make sure you mark it in your diary to cancel. You'll need to call Odeon on 0333 004 4411 to end your subscription.

Can't be used on Odeon Event Cinema, special or private screenings, BFI IMAX and The Lounge at Whiteleys. You'll need to pay extra for 3D screenings, 3D glasses, IMAX, ISENSE, The Gallery, D-Box, premier seating and any premium screening or seat type.

If you sign up online for Cineworld's Unlimited Card for £17.40/month you can watch as many films as you want (it's £19.90 if you want to visit London's West End cinema too).

This card should save you money if you normally see more than one film at the cinema a month. You'll also get 10% off food and drink.

Important: If you choose to pay monthly, you'll be signing up to a minimum 12-month subscription. If you don't want to continue after the 12 months is up, make sure you mark it in your diary to cancel.

You can also pay a one-off fee of £208.80 for 12 months, which works out the same as paying £17.40/month for 12 months. This could work out better for you if you'd prefer not to sign up to a subscription.

If you collect Tesco Clubcard vouchers, you can exchange them for a 12-month Unlimited Card. See our Deals Hunters' blog to find out how.

If you're a student with an NUS Extra card you can get an extra 25% off student ticket prices at Odeon cinemas, Mondays-Thursdays. Simply show your NUS Extra card at the box office to get the discount. Ticket prices vary, depending on location and the time of the film.

Who is eligible for an NUS Extra card?

The NUS Extra card is available to all students aged over 16 years (including distance learners, vocational and part-time students). It costs £12 and is valid for 12 months from the date of purchase. You can use it to get discounts at lots of stores and websites, including Asos, Spotify, Amazon and Domino's. It gets discounts at more retailers than the student ID card issued by universities and colleges.

The offer is only valid at cinemas which offer student pricing. It can't be used with any other offers. It's not valid at Odeon Leicester Square, Odeon Studios, The Lounge at Odeon Whiteleys or BFI IMAX.

Not valid for Premiere Seating, Club or D-Box seats, IMAX, iSense, The Lounge, Gallery performances, Odeon Silver Screen, Odeon Kid’s, Odeon Plus, Odeon Screen Unseen, premieres, special events or any events not open to the public.

More cinema deals

You can get up to 1/3 off ticket prices at Vue Cinemas with its Super Tuesday offer. The discount you'll get varies depending on the location and the time of the film, but Vue says you'll get at least an 18% discount.

You'll need a unique code to get the offer - simply enter your details online, or text SUPER, followed by a space and your email address, to 51055 (standard SMS text messaging rates apply). You can then get the discount by quoting the code at the box office when you buy your tickets. Some exclusions apply - see 'more info' below for details.

Unfortunately this discount isn't valid with the Meerkat Movies deal, which can get you 2for1 cinema tickets on Tuesdays and Wednesdays (see our Deals Hunters blog - Meerkat Movies trick: £2ish gets 2for1 movies for a year). So check which offer is best for you - if there's two of you, a 2for1 offer could work out cheaper.

If you're aged 55+, you can get tickets to Odeon Silver Cinema showings (previously known as Odeon Senior Screen) for £3. See 'more info' below for the prices at different cinemas. You'll also get tea, coffee and biscuits before the film starts.

Odeon says the films selected for Odeon Silver Cinema are aimed at a 'mature audience', aged 55+, but there is no formal age restriction on the tickets.

Before spending, use Martin's Mantras. If you answer 'NO' to any, Don't buy!

are you

Skint?
ask:

Do I need it?

Can I afford it?

are you

not skint?
ask:

Will I use it?

Is it worth it?

Free protection for all shopping!

There's a little-known piece of legislation that turns any credit card into a financial self-defence superhero. 'Section 75' of the Consumer Credit Act means your plastic must protect anything you buy for more than £100 for free, so if there's a problem or the company goes bust, you can still get your money back.

And although Section 75 doesn't apply to debit cards, there is something else to fall back on if you've paid using a debit card, or used a credit card for a purchase under £100. Known as Chargeback, this is part of banks' and card companies' internal rules and not a legal requirement. Read full details of Section 75 or Chargeback, plus how to claim, in our guides.

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